Contributors

Monday, February 22, 2010

British homeopathy funding called waste of money

I have no objection to stupid people wasting their own money on useless quack treatments. They've been warned again, and again and again and if that means they die, well too bad.

(Though of course children in the care of such idiots need to be removed immediately for their own safety, as the tragic case of that poor little girl in Sydney who died because her irresponsible parents put their beliefs ahead of her clearly deteriorating health.)

Ministers estimate the NHS spends around 152,000 pounds ($235,000) -- a tiny fraction of its around 100 billion pound budget -- on homeopathic remedies each year.

In its report on homeopathy, the committee agreed with the government that evidence shows homeopathy is not efficacious -- meaning it works no better than a placebo, or dummy pill.

"Explanations for why homeopathy would work are scientifically implausible," it said.

"BAD MEDICINE"

Homeopathy, which originated in Germany in the 1700s, is based on a principle that "like cures like." The theory is that substances that prompt certain symptoms can also treat those same symptoms if given in a highly diluted form.

The practice is controversial because many of its central concepts do not accord with modern science. Many studies have found homeopathic remedies are no more effective than placebos.

Critics say the homeopathy industry has made millions out of selling little more than "sugar pills" to vulnerable patients.